10/11/08
Saipan Fighters turn things around after a tough overtime loss to the Brisbane Gods and get an upset against a determined Co-op City Blitz. The three turnovers in the first quarter against the Blitz gave the Fighters the upper hand as the controlled time of possession. With the Fighters offense holding the ball for over half of the game it did not give the Blitz enough time to get the lead at the end. With this win it moves the Fighters up two spots in the Zeta conference to tenth place. Saipan has not bee in the top ten since season one and the team and fans are very excited about it. It leaves the door open for Saipan to try and sneak into the playoffs like they did in season one to get into the Championship Game.
The Rawle Tech Titans have a tough schedule ahead of them facing three of the top five teams in the Zeta conference. They are going to have to play hard to finish better than a 7-9 record.
The Melbourne Thorny Devils look to finish with a 500 record. The rest of their season is a 50/50 shot and they are looking to pull off some upsets to make sure they make the playoffs.
The Tongan Crimson Auha look to finish the season strong and hopefully make a 11-5 record at the end of the race. Keeping them in the playoffs.
The Fiji Stingers are going to have to take the rest of the season very seriously if they want to make the playoffs. They have a tough road ahead of them with everyone they are facing having something to prove. The Blitz are looking to knock them down a notch for what looks like a bumpy ride to the playoffs. Fiji could end up 9-7 if not careful.
The Saipan Fighters with an upset of the Blitz are feeling pretty confident for the end of the season and with the four teams above them with a lot to lose, things could look very good for Saipan. With probably the easiest chances of winning the majority of their last game, compares to the four teams above them, they could really sneak into the playoffs.
Favored against the Big Island Growas, expect the Saipan offense to shine in this game and the defense to really stifle any attack the Growas might have.
With the Melbourne Thorny Devils having four pretty easy games heading into the Kamakazi Pit to face Saipan, they may be to relaxed and not prepared to face what the Fighters have in store for them.
The toughest team Saipan will face at the end of the season is going to be the IC Incinerators. Don't expect the IC Incinerators to lay down in this one even with them already making it into the playoffs. Watch this game closely - it would be an absolutely great upset for Saipan if they can pull the trigger when the need to.
After the first two wins of the season Nauru Tiger Sharks have fallen apart and it doesn't look good going into the end of the season. Saipan should have another good game on both side of the field. The Nauru Tiger Sharks will be lucky to get a third win this season.
The Cleveland Dawg Pound have only won against the weakest team in the league, Don't expect to much of a challenge for the Fighters in this one. The best odds for the Dawg Pound will be against the Emerald City Flying Monkeys to finish off with 2 wins on the season.
The Auckland Flames have been struggling like Saipan over the last few seasons. A big upset last game proves that they do belong in the league and are looking to finish off strong with a string of victories know one saw coming. Will it be enough to get by Saipan? The Fighters say no and are determined to put this one in the bag.
If Saipan can continue to improve look for them to finish off strong, get an upset against the IC Incinerators and finish off the season at 9-7, just enough to get into the playoffs. And if this happens look out Oceania Pro League - The Fighters will be gunning for all of the heavy hitters.
What will happen over the course of the next six games? Stay tuned....
Current Standings
1 Brisbane Heat
2 Vanuatu Kava Sharks
3 Banzai Pipeline 'Nites
4 IC Incinerators
5 Brisbane Gods
6 Fiji Stingers
7 Tongan Crimson Auha
8 Melbourne Thorny Devils
9 Rawle Tech Titans
10 Saipan Fighters
11 Co-op City Blitz
12 Big Island Growas
13 Nauru Tiger Sharks
14 Jakarta Men O' War
15 Cleveland Dawg Pound
16 Great Barrier Reef Sharks
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